Sure, I saw FW 16 and paid no mind to the actual "modeling" system - I thought it was a "usual" firmware update, just as a beta
IOW, if that isn't clear: I didn't update it with Cygnus in mind, I simply thought it was the latest in the great line of Axe Fx 3 updates, simple
I wasn't diminishing the value or importance - I was pleasantly surprised (still ignorant of what Cygnus vs ares is, but I don't want to beat a dead horse, I was just trying to catch up on a 72 page thread when im so late)
and why wouldn't someone upgrade when its such an improvement, thats the only highlight I garnered myself hence my question -BTW Larry Kehl just asked an even simpler question, and I don't know if it was answered (just that it was the next generation after ares....but what does that mean ?)
Also, I did notice a drop in volumes, in a few, just to report the differences you found
I guess Fractalaudio has named their software software modeling implementations/releases so that they'll make it more easy to speak of than referring to numbers like 12.3 or 14.04, etc.
Meet Fractal's Quantum, Ares, Cygnus...
Apple does it with their OS "High Sierra", "Mojave", "Catalina" and Android phones does it as well "Lollipop", "Marshmallow", "Pie", etc
So when you plan to change something significant in a software implementation, you give it a new name and start a new cycle.
Then as a developer you work at the software with that name until you have something that can be tested in house by a quality assurance team that makes sure that you, by changing its core, didn't break anything you weren't suppose to and the software works as expected (as planned when you gave it a new name). This goes back and forth between developers and QA team until most of the bugs are squashed.
When the quality assurance team finishes their work and state that they couldn't find anything major with the software, it becomes a BETA and it's moved to what it's called "USER ACCEPTANCE".
(Here could be added a new step in testing the product, a private beta, where select users are co-opted to test the implementation prior to have it thrown out the door to the masses as a BETA)
This user acceptance is a bunch far larger that the QA team and they can find bugs or unwanted behaviour that the QA team couldn't possibly been able to, given its size and knowledge about the product. This version of software is delivered usually with a release note stating that this is not the final implementation but just a beta - and "here be dragons"... The majority can't mess their device with this since they need to use it (live shows, recording, etc) and wait for the final release. Some are taking the bait and start enjoying something that wasn't yet fully released.
Then the users report back their experience and more bugs are squished, functionality polished, etc until you reach the threshold of acceptance and the BETA becomes a Release Candidate.
When the candidate for release has all the approvals for being a full release, then the software is provided to the masses with no disclaimers that there could still be problems with the implementation - it does what it was planned to and here's what changed: ...
Hop in with any additions to my omissions
- I tried to present what usually happens behind the scenes in a software development company with any new release without getting too deep.
An educated user can take better decisions on what he upgrades to if he understands what those keywords are (beta, release candidate, final, etc)
On another note - I think you guys are the lab rats for us the FM3 users to get the latest and greatest without moving a finger